Bowstring gage

ABSTRACT

A bowstring gage for locating, checking, and positioning a kisser button and peepsight, having an elongated body with a member slidable along the body for locating the desired points, and a clip means for holding one end of the body at the nocking point and the other end of the body in parallel relation with the string. The means which slides along the body preferably includes a setscrew or the like for retaining the slide means in desired position for locating either of the two points.

C United States Patent [n13,600,814

"2| I n r n Smith 3.111.772 M903 Hartog W180 211 Alexander Street.Plymouth. Ind. 3,l5l,40l 10/1964 Bender U 3/189 I7 Appl No 843,0983,418,718 l2/l968 Currentetalm 11/464 llll Filed July 1 ,1969 OTHERREFERENCES Patented I971 Instruments. March, I944, page 137, Article byGeorge M. Byram 33-] LE 4 \4 i BOWSTRING GAGE Primary Examiner --WilliamD Martin, Jr

8 Claims. 8 Drawing Figs. Attorney-Hobbs & Green :82! [1.8. Cl. 33/180R, v V

33/46A ABSTRACT: A bowstring gage for locating, checking, and l s l 3/30positioning a kisser button and peepsight, having an elongated Held Sun!33/1801 1 body with a member slidable along the body for locating the LE207 desired points, and a clip means for holding one end of the body atthe nocking point and the other end of the body in H6] References cuedparallel relation with the string. The means which slides along UNITEDSTATES PA [ENTS the body preferably includes a setscrew or the like forretain- 4U382b2 6/1962 Fuehrer et al 33/180 ing the slide means indesired position for locating either of 088r2|2 5/[963 Smith 33/180 thetwo points so ,i- 36 PATENTEUAUBZMQYI 3,500 14 SHEET 1 OF 2 INVENTOR.

GENE E. SMITH BY M7M AT TORNEY S PAIENTEU AUG24I97| 3.600.814

sum 2 or 2 FIG. 5 i 5 4 FIG. 4

8 l; [92 INVENTOR. 9o FIG. 6 GENE E. SMITH ATTORNEYS BOWSTRING GAGE lncontemporary archery, particularly in competitive target archery, thearcher normally uses a bow sight and a definite anchor point on his facein order to obtain maximum accuracy and consistency in hitting thetarget with the arrow. The sights, which are mounted on the bow usuallyslightly above the arrow rest, are of little value unless the fixedanchor point is consistently used, and various practices and deviceshave been used to assist the archer in using the precise anchor point.One of these devices is referred to as a kisser button, which isnormally a small disc-shaped member adapted to be clamped onto thebowstring at the position corresponding to the archer's mouth, and whenthe archer draws his bow, the bow and string are so positioned that thebutton rests between the lips with the mouth closed. Thus the closedlips in conjunction with the kisser button form a definite anchor pointwhich permits the archer to consistently draw the bow and aim thearrows. After the button has been properly located on the string, itbecomes a fixed point on the string which is used constantly by thearcher and, whenever a new string is used in the how, the archerendeavors to locate the button in the corresponding position on the newstring with respect to the nocking point on the new string.

More recently, and as bow sights have become more sophisticated, apeepsight has been used which permits the archer to obtain maximumaccuracy time after time with the same bow and sight settings. Thepeepsight is attached to the string usually by separating the strandsand securing the sight between the strands in a fixed position. When thenocking point, kisser button and peepsight have been properlypositioned, consistent accuracy in shooting is easily achieved so longas the points are maintained in their proper positions; however, as thebow is used, there is a tendency for the strin to stretch and/or for thekisser button or peepsight to slip, thus rendering the setting of thoseelements inaccurate and resulting in inaccurate shooting. It istherefore one of the principal objects of the present invention toprovide a gage which will assist in locating and maintaining the kisserbutton and peepsight in their proper position on the bow string inrelation to the nocking point, and which provides an accurate means fortransferring the points for the kisser button and peepsight from onestring to another.

Another object of the invention is to provide a gage for locating thekisser button and peepsight, which permits a record to be made of theproper points so that the points can be easily and readily located onnew strings and checked from time to time on old strings.

Still another object is to provide a gage of the aforementioned typewhich snaps onto the bowstring where it will remain while the settingsare being obtained and maintained, and which can be used to make andcheck any number of settings on different bowstrings.

A further object of the invention is to provide a versatile and sturdygage for checking and transferring the positions of the kisser buttonand/or peepsight, which is so constructed and designed that it willmaintain its accuracy with repeated use and over long periods of time,and which is convenient to carry, use and store.

Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following description and accompanying drawings,wherein:

FIG. I is a side elevational view of a string recurve bow showing thepresent gage in place on the string for locating the kisser button andpeepsight;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the bowstring and the presentgage mounted thereon for determining and checking the location of thekisser button and peepsight;

FIG. 3 is a further enlarged elevational view of the present gageshowing the device in further detail;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the device shown in the precedingfigures;

F IG. 5 is an elevational view of the side opposite that shown in F IG.4;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the present gage, the section beingtaken on line 6-6 of FIG. 3',

FIG. 7 is an elevational view of the upper end of the gage; and

FIG. 8 is an elevational view of the lower end of the gage.

Referring more specifically to the drawings and to FIG. I in particular,numeral 10 indicates generally a bow of the type used in tournamentarchery, having string 12, an arrow rest 14, and a bow sight 16. Thepresent gage 20 is shown in position on the string for determining thelocation of the kisser button and peepsight. The bow l0 and sight 16 maybe considered conventional in construction and operation and will not bedescribed in detail herein, the sight shown having a sight holder 22which is adapted to move to various vertical positions on support 24rigidly secured to the bow by a fixture 26 seen in FIG, 1. The stringcontains a nocking point 30 defined by annular thread portions 32 and34, a kisser button 36 and a peepsight 38. The type of bowstring 12consists of a plurality of strands and the peepsight is inserted betweenparted strands and secured in place by thread convolutions 40 and 42above and below the peepsight. Similar convolutions may be used to holdthe kisser button in place after it has been properly located on thestring.

The present gage is primarily intended to assist in accurately locatingthe position of kisser button 36 and peepsight 38 with relation to thenocking point 30. The gage consists of a elongated body 50 having oneside graduated in inches and being movably secured to the bowstring byclips 52 and 54 mounted on laterally projecting lugs 56 and 58,respectively, at the upper and lower ends of body 50. The upper clipconsists of two leaf metal spring members 60 and 62, and lower clipconsists of leaf springs 64 and 66. The leaf springs of the respectiveclips project inwardly from the lugs, as illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8,to form string-receiving holes 68 and 70, respectively, and when thespring is seated in the clips, the gage is retained firmly in positionon the string. These spring members may be secured to lugs 56 and 58 byrivets 72 and 74 or any other suitable securing means.

Clip 54 is relatively narrow and is designed to seat in the nockingpoint in the same position as a nocked arrow, and clip 52 retains thegage in a position parallel to the string. A slide is mounted on body 50and is adapted to move to various positions to locate the kisser buttonand peepsight. The slide consists of a member 82 and a plate 84 securedto the member, defining an opening 86 of substantially the samedimension as the cross-sectional area of the body 50. The slide movesfreely on body 50 and is retained in any desired position by a setscrew88 having a stem 90 threadedly received in an opening 92 in one edge ofthe body. On the inner side of slide 80 a blade or pointer 94 isprovided for assisting in locating the exact point where the kisserbutton and peepsight are to be located. The setscrew 88 retains theslide in any desired fixed position and, when it has been loosened, theslide will move freely along the body and scale thereon to locate thebutton and sight. Since the point 96 of the blade is on a plane with theunderside of the slide, the desired position of the blade 94 isdetermined by the use of the scale in conjunction with the underside ofthe slide.

In the use of the present string gage, the clip 54 is placed at thenocking point and the clip 52 is pressed onto the strong so that thestring then passes through openings 68 and 70 and the gage is heldfirmly on the string by the two clips. The proper nocking point isnormally first determined, and this may be done by using an instrumentsuch as that shown in the applicant's US. Pat. No. 3,088,2l2. The kisserbutton is then installed on the string approximately 2% inches above thenocking point and the peepsight is installed on the string approximately5V2 inches above the nocking point. After these two parts have beeninstalled, the gage is removed and an arrow is placed on the string anda trial draw is made to check the nocking point and the kisser buttonand peepsight positions. After the kisser button and peepsight have beenproperly located, a record of the measurements in inches on the scale ismade by replacing the gage on the string in the same manner aspreviously described, moving the slide to the kisser button and then tothe center of the peepsight and reading and recording both positions.Thereafter the position of the kisser button and peepsight can bereadily checked, using the record and the gage clipped to the stringwith clip 54 in the nocking point. Thereafter the position of the kisserbutton and peepsight can be readily checked, using the record and thegage clipped to the string with clip 54 in the nocking point. The slideis then moved to the recorded position and, if either the kisser buttonor peepsight is improperly located, an adjustment is made. The sameprocedure is followed in bracing the bow with a new string.

it is seen that the present gage provides a means for accuratelylocating the kisser button and peepsight and for easily checking thepositions of these pans from time to time as the bow is being used. Thegage can easily and conveniently be carried by the archer to permit thebow to be checked from time to time, either on the archery range or inthe field. While the present gage has been described with reference to atarget bow, it may be used on a hunting or other type of bow in theevent either the kisser button or peepsight is used.

While only one embodiment of the present gage has been described indetail] herein, various changes and modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention.

l claim:

1. A bowstring gage for locating and checking the position of a kisserbutton and peepsight on a string having a nocking point, said gagecomprising an elongated body, a positioning means at one end forcontacting the nocking point on the string, a positioning means at theother end for embracing the string to retain the gage in position duringthe use thereof, and a means slidable along said body and having anindicator means in close proximity to the string for finding andindicating the proper position of the kisser button and peepsightrelative to the nocking point.

2. A bowstring gage as defined in claim 1 in which said means slidablealong said body includes a pointer for accurately locating the positionof the kisser button and peepsight.

3. A bow string gage as defined in claim 2 in which said means slidablealong said body includes a means for retaining the sliding means in afixed position.

4. A bowstring gage as defined in claim 1 in which one of saidpositioning means is a clip consisting of two leaf spring membersattached to opposite sides of said body at the ends thereof.

5. A bow string gage as defined in claim 3 in which both of saidpositioning means are clips consisting of two leaf spring membersattached to opposite sides of said body at the ends thereof.

6. A bowstring gage as defined in claim I in which said body includes ascale for determining and finding the exact location of the slidablemeans for determining the position of the kisser button and peepsight.

7. A bowstring gage as defined in claim 5 in which said body includes ascale for determining and finding the exact location of the slidablemeans for determining the position of the kisser button and peepsight.

8. A bowstring gage as defined in claim 5 in which said spring clips areso formed that the string is held in a firm position within the clips.

1. A bowstring gage for locating and checking the position of a kisserbutton and peepsight on a string having a nocking point, said gagecomprising an elongated body, a positioning means at one end forcontacting the nocking point on the string, a positioning means at theother end for embracing the string to retain the gage in position duringthe use thereof, and a means slidable along said body and having anindicator means in close proximity to the string for finding andindicating the proper position of the kisser button and peepsightrelative to the nocking point.
 2. A bowstring gage as defined in claim 1in which said means slidable along said body includes a pointer foraccurately locating the position of the kisser button and peepsight. 3.A bow string gage as defined in claim 2 in which said means slidablealong said body includes a means for retaining the sliding means in afixed position.
 4. A bowstring gage as defined in claim 1 in which oneOf said positioning means is a clip consisting of two leaf springmembers attached to opposite sides of said body at the ends thereof. 5.A bow string gage as defined in claim 3 in which both of saidpositioning means are clips consisting of two leaf spring membersattached to opposite sides of said body at the ends thereof.
 6. Abowstring gage as defined in claim 1 in which said body includes a scalefor determining and finding the exact location of the slidable means fordetermining the position of the kisser button and peepsight.
 7. Abowstring gage as defined in claim 5 in which said body includes a scalefor determining and finding the exact location of the slidable means fordetermining the position of the kisser button and peepsight.
 8. Abowstring gage as defined in claim 5 in which said spring clips are soformed that the string is held in a firm position within the clips.